Making Room in Heaven for our Pets
“God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.”
My wife and I sometimes joke that we prefer dogs to people. At least I think she is joking. She usually makes that claim while I am in the room! So, when I saw Dr. Julian Frazier's article, "Why Most People Treat Their Pets Better Than Their Human Relationships," I had to find out why Jill likes our granddog more than me.
Frazier mentions what almost all affirm, the blessing of our animals' "unconditional love." When the rest of the world appears to come down on us, our dog is waiting by the door with excitement and primal joy, simply because you are home. Our pets don't notice our imperfections, but they appreciate all we offer them. We value our pets' simple love. Frazier describes it this way: "Where the relationship between human and pet is defined by a clear power dynamic, human relationships are power struggles." The time with our dog is the kind of "win-win" we wish all our human relationships could be.
Because human power struggles occur in intense and subtle ways, our dogs become a refuge from the exhaustion of always remaining on guard. Although I must insert that one dog we had, Sassy, was in a continual power struggle with me over my wife's attention. Yet, as the saying goes, "the exception proves the rule." Pets, unless you own a cat [joking a little], do not hold the control. As their owner, you provide the protection, food, and all they need to survive. Part of your love is the recognition that you have total responsibility for their life. The survival obligation bonds you to your pet in a nurturing way.
Today, use this time to reflect on the pets who have blessed you with love and different times in your life. The blessing of our pets comes through shared affection, but also in our commitment to those whom we've invited into our lives. Those people who claim animals have no soul and do not have a place in heaven need to ask more questions about their relationship with God and any pets they might have had. If you believe humans are the only beings who go to heaven, because we are the only ones with a soul and able to choose salvation, you must ask, "Is our mind capable of understanding the divine, or to God, are we more simplistic than dogs are to us?" We provide salvation through God's grace and mercy, and as pet parents, we choose to invite loving pets into our homes. Similarly, God is doing the same with us, simple-minded as we are. I hope we are as excited to pray each day as our dogs are to meet us at the door.
